Brenn-O-Kem
Green Rooibos Benefits
Green rooibos is a tea made from the unfermented leaves of the rooibos shrub, known scientifically as Aspalanthus linearis. Red rooibos is a tea brewed from the fermented leaves of the rooibus shrub. Although both caffeine-free rooibos brews appear to have medicinal properties, those in green rooibos are significantly more potent.
Origin and Composition
The evergreen rooibos shrub grows to a maximum height of 6½ feet and is native to the mountains north of Cape Town, South Africa. Traditional rooibos tea, the red variety, is brewed from rooibos leaves and stems that have been bruised with mallets and then left in the sun to ferment. Green rooibos tea is made with the same leaves and stems shortly after they have been harvested and before they have had time to ferment. Rooibos leaves and stems contain a wide array of antioxidant compounds, as well as vitamin C, minerals and alpha-hydroxy acids, according to nutritional consultant Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Herbal Healing." Unlike the most traditional teas, which are brewed from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis, rooibos teas have no caffeine and are very low in tannins.
Green versus Red Rooibos
In a review of studies on the bioactivity of South African herbal teas, including both rooibos and honeybush, USDA researchers Diane L. McKay and Jeffrey B. Blumberg found that the fermentation process reduced the bioactive compounds present in rooibos plant materials. Multiple studies show that both red and green rooibos teas contain several phenolic compounds. However, the concentration of these bioactive ingredients is significantly higher in green rooibos than in red rooibos. McKay and Blumberg, who are both affiliated with the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, cited one study that detected a higher percentage of total polyphenols, flavonoids and non-flavonoids in green compared to red rooibos. The review by McKay and Blumberg appeared in the January 2007 issue of "Phytotherapy Research."
Chemoprotective Properties
South African researchers compared the chemoprotective properties of various teas, including red and green rooibos, honeybush, and green and black teas brewed from leaves of the Camellia sinensis. Chemoprotective agents are used to protect healthy cells from the damage that can be caused by chemotherapeutic medicines. The teas were studied for their ability to protect against liver and kidney damage in laboratory rats in which cancer had been chemically induced using Fumonisin B1 and diethylnitrosamine. In an article in the 2009 issue of "Food and Chemical Toxicology," the researchers reported that while all teas showed some chemoprotective properties, the green rooibos tea seemed to have the most powerful effect.
References:
"Prescription for Herbal Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch; 2002
"Phytotherapy Research"; A Review of the Bioactivity of South African Herbal Teas: Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia); Diane L. McKay and Jeffrey B. Blumberg; January 2007
"Food and Chemical Toxicology"; Chemoprotective Properties of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) Herbal and Green and Black (Camellia sinensis) Teas Against Cancer Promotion Induced by Fumonisin B1 in Rat Liver; Jeanine L. Marnewick et al.; 2009
(Adapted from: )
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